Fireside Project
Justin Ayala is an experienced professional actively involved in various roles within the fields of drug policy advocacy and photography. Currently serving as Secretary for the Executive Committee on the Board of Directors for Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), Justin has also held positions such as California Regional Online Event Coordinator and Community Outreach Coordinator for the UCSC Chapter. As a Psychedelic Peer Support Volunteer with Fireside Project, Justin contributes to psychedelic support services. Justin launched a freelance photography business in August 2014, specializing in events, weddings, and social movements. Previous experience includes internships and roles with organizations like Lykos Therapeutics and Chacruna Institute, along with practical experience in industrial operations at Bay Photo and sales at Old School Shoes, Inc. Justin is pursuing a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at San Francisco State University, following studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Fireside Project
Fireside Project is a non-profit organization that operates the Psychedelic Peer Support Line - the first support line in the world specifically aimed at helping people navigate psychedelic experiences. Our well-trained, compassionate, and culturally competent volunteers offer support by phone and text message to people in the midst of psychedelic experiences or who are exploring the meaning of past psychedelic experiences. Fireside Project is honored to be guided by some of the brightest lights in the psychedelic movement and helpline community. Our Advisory Board includes, in addition to current and former managers of local helplines, psychiatrist and author Dr. Julie Holland; psychedelic communications expert Brad Burge; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF Dr. Joseph Zamaria; co-founder of the Yale Psychedelic Science Group Dr. Jordan Sloshower; co-founder of Women’s Visionary Council Annie Oak; and Associate Professor of Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies Dr. Nick Walker, among others. There is a urgent need for the services Fireside Project provides. Facing an international mental health crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and with research rapidly advancing into psychedelics to treat mental health conditions, growing numbers of people are using psychedelics, many for the first time. Psychedelics are increasingly being used in supervised therapeutic or ceremonial settings, but many people are experimenting with them while alone, and with no one to turn to if their “trip” becomes too intense. Fireside Project's mission is to help people fulfill the potential of their psychedelic experiences by providing compassionate, accessible, and culturally responsive peer support, educating the public, and furthering psychedelic research, while embracing practices that increase equity, power sharing, and belonging within the psychedelic movement.